Sunday, December 2, 2012

Larry left a message on my cell phone the day before we were to meet for another event where he played the real life role of “Honorary President” of our non-profit charity, World Team Now.Some knew him as “Master” in I Dream of Jeanie, others as “JR” in Dallas but we knew Larry Hagman, as the Honorary President/Chairman of our organization and a strong advocate.. Larry was an innovator and inspiration for many, with his use of renewable energy! We loved his appreciation for nature and humanity— and his spirit! The spirit that lived through Larry’s voice even on a message remains memorable.Larry had a big heart, not just for our charity, but for the world at large. He was dedicated to our mutual vision and goals to demonstrate the use of renewable energy— and to ‘play to transform our world’. We shared a mutual inquiry of how to live in better balance with ourselves, one another and our global resources. World Team Now redefined the value of resources through the acronym of T.ime, E.nery, A.ction, and M.oney with the key being in the balance, and using our own lives as experiments. Larry very much lived into that.When I first met Larry as journalist covering the Solar Expo where he was a keynote speaker, I was surprised to learn he had the largest collection of personal solar power in use in our country and arguably, our world. His Ojai Ranch produced a surplus of energy, energy independence would be, "Heaven". When he showered the audience at the expo with his paper money— bills larger than the government printed, he demonstrated the spirit of “possibility,” that many of his characters mastered: to go beyond what was fathomable, reasonable or even possible. This act demonstrated his ideal that ALL people were to be included in abundance. It is in this spirit that he would become my friend and supporter of the dream with our World Team Now. I also learned Larry had been friends with my cousin Suzanne Pleshette.He understood the big picture view of world systems and what motivated our world to action, and saw a need for change, and began that change. He also really understood what it was to be human, to embrace change and attempt to make use of the duality of the human condition— to learn from what didn't work, to create what does work.

Larry stayed with us over the years through many changes, one of them was the name change— originally we were Team World Corps— to World Team Now. Larry was at our first event in 2007 at The Sunset Restaurant with SolarWorld. I will always remember that after the fashion show, when the sun was about to set, Larry had us all hold hand as he led the countdown, “Ten, nine, eight….” He was waiting for the mysterious green flash— when it came time, he hoisted our hands up in the air exclaiming, “Bong-Dong!” This was at the SolarWorld event, and it made my heart shine to know Larry later would end up being a spokesman for solar energy through SolarWorld. He leaves the legacy of reminding us all to "Shine Baby, Shine"... and we are happy to see that energy shine out to our world.

Over the years, from 2007 to 2012, Larry supported projects and events. This past year, the event was to do an upgrade and installation of new electric vehicle chargers at the City of Malibu, which World Team Now cajoled the city to take action for this project. This time, we brought a team of celebrities, some media and new electric vehicles from Hertz, like Nissan’s Leaf, and the Tesla Roadster, and we all participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony, and driving of vehicles. Larry loved that he could sit in the driver’s seat of the Leaf with plenty of room to wear his iconic hat. Larry was eager to get his all electric vehicle, and ready to charge it to solar or wind energy. He was an innovator. We still have to edit the footage from this event. It is most challenging when people die and there are projects incomplete, thus is the case with Larry’s passing.

I decided to re-save and not delete Larry’s old message many times, as I would again the day before he died. After learning that Larry crossed, I listened to his message and on it was a voice I could hear eternally. I returned the call, hearing his voice message brought tears, “ You've reached Heaven South,” had new meaning. Larry kept me laughing, after life…Spell “evil” backwards, and what do you get? Live. He has gifted many people the ability to live a better life. “Evil Does Good” is a great name for his new foundation; please honor Larry with a gift. He lived ‘Life to the Maxx,’ and he will live on through us all! In gratitude we offer this Universal Prayer!